You've heard the phrase before; I've used it often when describing when and why we have to leave somewhere. It's about getting to where you hope to go, in the safest and most comfortable way. Yes, a gentle breeze from the quarter (just enough to move the boat quietly through the swells at somewhere around 6 knots)... would do nicely. Oh, and no fishing nets, trap lines, or hidden bits of hard rocky stuff would also be lovely. And, please, let there be safe and protected anchorages every so often along the route just in case the weather Gods change their minds and decide to play the Devil. Yes, wouldn't that be fantastic. But, I'm afraid if it was that easy the anchorages would be so full there'd be no room left.
OK, back to 'weather windows'. We have one... we think. They're cagey fellows, popping up on your screen and then morphing into something completely different before your eyes. The important weather for us now is the predictions of weather to be expected when going around Cape Corrientes. This will be a bit of a tough leg for us as northbound, up the coast, is usually more challenging than the southbound (downhill) leg. And so we wait and watch and compare forecasts (there are many). We interview friends with experience and folks who live for predicting weather. We chew our fingernails a bit, debate the pros and cons, voice our regrets Kathy may have to spend her 60th birthday battling oncoming seas at the Cape in the middle of the night. And then we cheer ourselves up with thoughts of a wonderful birthday dinner at the PV Yacht Club restaurant where we will tell tales of our sailing prowess and give thanks for having succeeded in besting Corrientes.
And, so my friends, this is a long winded way of telling you we think we have a window that will get us around Corrientes safely, if we leave early tomorrow morning. We'll slip at 0600 and either go for it (heading for the Cape and around it - about 24-29 hrs straight) or we'll decide to pull into Chamela, 30 NMs up the coast and wait to round the Cape on Saturday.
As always, I promise we will make the best and safest decisions... we always do. And, of course these plans, like all the others, are written in sand and subject to change at any time. We'll be in touch as and when we can and, as always, no news is good news.
We hope all is well with each of you and your days are getting brighter and longer.
Adios for now... CJ and K
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Shannon's Spirit in a little bit of paradise...
As you can see, SSpirit is enjoying it all. We even had a lovely visit on the foredeck watching the sun go down and listening to the music. We had a peaceful night, not too rolly and will leave this morning after breakfast and the morning net (every morning at 0800 or 0900, depending where you are, there is a morning radio net for the larger areas where cruisers gather... eg: Mazatlan, Banderas Bay, Barra de Navidad, etc. Under the guidance of a "net controller" we all check in, can ask questions about assistance required like where to buy groceries... and things like that. There are also local announcements and other information related to the needs or wants of the cruising fleet. It's a very useful tool and we're glad it's there. It's also a good way to stay in touch with cruising friends).
Our next destination is Cuastecomate, a small anchorage just around the next point; 3 NM away. It's supposed to be quite beautiful and a little quieter than Melaque. We shall see.
This photo was taken by our friends Marta and Murray from the beach in Melaque. They thought (correctly) we would like a memento of our visit here. Thanks very much M and M, SV Ponga.
Some of you may recall we never made it further south than Banderas Bay in previous seasons. We are very happy to have made it to our southern most goal of Barra de Navidad and now look forward to slowly making our way north. Our progress will depend upon the winds and seas which tend to slack off and then build up again. We will only travel during times of supposedly comfortable conditions so will stop and start accordingly.
We leave Melaque this morning and, for several days, will only have sketchy internet connectivity. So be well and know we are in good company. TTFN.... from paradise...CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Time to move on....
Yup, it is... time to move on. Time to leave Barra and mosey all the way to Melaque... a lengthy 2 miles away :-). We're very much looking forward to being back on the hook and swimming in warm salt water. Did I tell you the water in Tenacatita is so salty I can literally stand up and stay up without moving my arms and legs? It's awesome.
Anyway, know we are well... and very ready to be heading back out to anchorages. Melaque tonight, Cuastecomate tomorrow night, and Tenacatita the day after that. Internet will be sketchy again but we'll write when we can.
Hope all is well with each of you.... CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Anyway, know we are well... and very ready to be heading back out to anchorages. Melaque tonight, Cuastecomate tomorrow night, and Tenacatita the day after that. Internet will be sketchy again but we'll write when we can.
Hope all is well with each of you.... CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Monday, January 1, 2018
Checking in.... Happy New Year!!
Hello my friends... we are finally (for a few days) in a place (Barra de Navidad) where we can access email and send out emails (our use of the SSB has been limited due to the challenge of balancing power needs for the almost two weeks we've been off the grid).
We have been blessed with Christmas, birthday and New Years emails and will now have a chance to read them. We can't promise to respond to each one but please know we will enjoy your message and get back to you when we can.
We are now in the marina at Barra de Navidad from which we will access laundry services, groceries, and a few other maintenance needs... (nothing serious). We'll also take a bus trip to nearby Melaque for more groceries and some sight-seeing. After several days here we hope to return to Tenacatita for another few days filled with friends, Bocce, and warm water swimming and kayaking. Then, when the weather Gods allow, we will begin our journey north, visiting Chamala and Ipala before rounding Cabo Corrientes northbound.
Sorry we haven t been in enter contact but sometimes you just have to "do it" and make amends later. We have missed being connected... but, truth be told, not as much as you might have thought.
Hope all is well with you... as it is with us. Take good care. CJ and K
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
We have been blessed with Christmas, birthday and New Years emails and will now have a chance to read them. We can't promise to respond to each one but please know we will enjoy your message and get back to you when we can.
We are now in the marina at Barra de Navidad from which we will access laundry services, groceries, and a few other maintenance needs... (nothing serious). We'll also take a bus trip to nearby Melaque for more groceries and some sight-seeing. After several days here we hope to return to Tenacatita for another few days filled with friends, Bocce, and warm water swimming and kayaking. Then, when the weather Gods allow, we will begin our journey north, visiting Chamala and Ipala before rounding Cabo Corrientes northbound.
Sorry we haven t been in enter contact but sometimes you just have to "do it" and make amends later. We have missed being connected... but, truth be told, not as much as you might have thought.
Hope all is well with you... as it is with us. Take good care. CJ and K
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Wed. Dec. 27th... (and 28th)
We had heard about the lazy, tropical Tenacatita days... spent languishing in the warm sun, snorkelling, kayaking, swimming from the boat to the beach, walking the long white-sand beach, playing Bocce in the sand between the tide lines, and enjoying cold cervesas and ceviche at the Palapa restaurant... and doing it all in the company of good friends. Yes, we had heard about those days. AND TODAY WE HAD ONE!!! Wow, what a great day!
We did all those things I just described...not quite as gracefully as some. There's nothing like the sight of CJ trying to scramble and flounce herself from the water, up onto the side of the dinghy and then into the dinghy without taking on the blubberous floundering of a beached mammal... to initiate a good laugh all around. And, the swim from ship to shore was more like a long-distance marathon swim, conducted in slow laborious motion.... but we did arrive in time for the stragglers portion of the beach walk...and, needless to say, we did not miss the cervesas.... and we got back in one piece (Kathy on the kayak and CJ in a kind gentleman's dinghy).
And, as the story goes, today (Dec. 28th) was a close repeat of yesterday... with the addition of birthday congratulations for one of the cruisers and a rousing game of Bocce, played by no less than 20 people (10 on each team). I must admit I'm not one of the stars... it takes supreme talent to throw/toss a Bocce ball, downhill on hard sand, praying all the while it will stop before hitting the water. Anyway, I have much to learn on that count. Aim's not too bad... velocity ... an entirely different issue :-)
For now, know we are securely anchored, in the company of cruising friends, enjoying the beauty of Tenacatita. ''Tis true, we couldn't pull ourselves away to stick to the plan of going into the Barra marina on the 28th. Maybe on the 2nd. It's funny, the answer to the cruisers question "so when are you moving on, or back...? Is... "when we run out of food and water". We figure to be in need of fresh sustenance in or around the 2nd... we think :-)
Oh, must go. The BBQ is waiting for it's offering. Hope all is well with each of you and you're having a peaceful and healthy time finishing off 2017. Internet here is intermittent so I don't know when you'll get this. More will follow... sometime.
Adios for now. Or TTFN (Ta Ta For Now). CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
We did all those things I just described...not quite as gracefully as some. There's nothing like the sight of CJ trying to scramble and flounce herself from the water, up onto the side of the dinghy and then into the dinghy without taking on the blubberous floundering of a beached mammal... to initiate a good laugh all around. And, the swim from ship to shore was more like a long-distance marathon swim, conducted in slow laborious motion.... but we did arrive in time for the stragglers portion of the beach walk...and, needless to say, we did not miss the cervesas.... and we got back in one piece (Kathy on the kayak and CJ in a kind gentleman's dinghy).
And, as the story goes, today (Dec. 28th) was a close repeat of yesterday... with the addition of birthday congratulations for one of the cruisers and a rousing game of Bocce, played by no less than 20 people (10 on each team). I must admit I'm not one of the stars... it takes supreme talent to throw/toss a Bocce ball, downhill on hard sand, praying all the while it will stop before hitting the water. Anyway, I have much to learn on that count. Aim's not too bad... velocity ... an entirely different issue :-)
For now, know we are securely anchored, in the company of cruising friends, enjoying the beauty of Tenacatita. ''Tis true, we couldn't pull ourselves away to stick to the plan of going into the Barra marina on the 28th. Maybe on the 2nd. It's funny, the answer to the cruisers question "so when are you moving on, or back...? Is... "when we run out of food and water". We figure to be in need of fresh sustenance in or around the 2nd... we think :-)
Oh, must go. The BBQ is waiting for it's offering. Hope all is well with each of you and you're having a peaceful and healthy time finishing off 2017. Internet here is intermittent so I don't know when you'll get this. More will follow... sometime.
Adios for now. Or TTFN (Ta Ta For Now). CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Not a Blog.... but?
Sat. Dec. 23, 2017
OK, so this isn't your usual up to date and timely blog posting. It is, instead, as good as I can produce with no internet for several days. I've started this 'report' on Saturday evening, Dec. 23rd because I just can't help myself. I so wish I could plug each and every one of you into my brain... to see what I see and to feel what I feel... when I gaze out upon the tropical anchorage we have acquired.
Kathy has posted a wonderful piece about our journey down from Banderas Bay to Tenacatita. Considering the various challenges we've faced (mostly equipment failures and maintenance) we are delighted to be here.... finally. We are so pleased in fact, that we have declined the opportunity to continue on into Barra de Navidad for the annual cruisers potluck Christmas dinner. Yup, 85 of our cruising friends (old, new, and not made yet).
Ooo. News break, news break: just received a wonderful, loving message from Marg (Kathy's mom) over the SSB. Thanks Marg. Our weather is good and we're catching up our rest AND Kathy has fixed our electrical problem.
Oh, and I have to tell you... we have a little Christmas wreath hanging in the cabin, on the mast. We purchased it from an older Mexican woman in La Cruz. It's kind of nice, and it sparkles reflections when hit by certain light. We will be mounting our Christmas cards all around it on the mast when we open them.
OK, back to my story...now, where was I? Oh yes, as I mentioned we decided not to continue on to Barra de Navidad for the Christmas potluck dinner; for several reasons. Firstly, we were exhausted when we arrived and all too happy to sink our hook into the bottom of Bahia Tenacatita. Secondly, before leaving La Cruz we heard about a southerly weather system due in this area around the 28th. We thought being securely tied into a beautiful marina at the entrance to Barra by then sounded pretty good, so we made reservations. That being said, whether we head there on the 27th or 28th (so we can see some of our friends returning to Tenacatita after Christmas dinner before we leave) remains to be seen.
For now, we are content to enjoy this beautiful anchorage... quite beautiful, with only 5 other boats anchored around us, and the gentle purr of the surf as it rolls up onto the nearby beach. Picture that, if you can, and then add Frigate birds wheeling overhead as they scout for fish filets.
I must go now, but will return to this posting tomorrow. Oh did I mention? The water is at least 85 and we ve been jumping in every couple hours.... fantastic !!
Tuesday, Dec. 26th. Well, what a Christmas Day we had yesterday. We awoke to be one of three boats in the anchorage and had a lovely, peaceful morning. Then, to our delight, about 1030 hrs. in came SV Ponga... friends of ours who had been in Barra but then decided to play hooky and join us back in Tenacatita. By 1330 we had been for a swim off the boat (it's like swimming in your bathtub.... delightfully warm) and visiting on Ponga with two other couples.
Today was a page out of the 'book of dreams'. After a little work on the reefing system, I accepted a ride into the beach (still not feeling too great about braving breaking surf... either as a swimmer or a kayaker) and Kathy rode the waves into the beach. There we enjoyed the company of other cruisers, played some Bocce in the sand, enjoyed cerviche and cold cervesas, and generally relaxed in the tropical atmosphere of Bahia Tenacatita. Tomorrow we hope to do some snorkelling, exploring by dinghy and More swimming. There is nothing quite like being able to jump into the water off your boat, at a moments notice, and land in warm water... ahh.... we are so spoiled.
This is getting kind of,long, somwill,try to send it along. Hope all is well with each of you and you are resting comfortably after a spendiferous Christmas Day.
TTFN. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
OK, so this isn't your usual up to date and timely blog posting. It is, instead, as good as I can produce with no internet for several days. I've started this 'report' on Saturday evening, Dec. 23rd because I just can't help myself. I so wish I could plug each and every one of you into my brain... to see what I see and to feel what I feel... when I gaze out upon the tropical anchorage we have acquired.
Kathy has posted a wonderful piece about our journey down from Banderas Bay to Tenacatita. Considering the various challenges we've faced (mostly equipment failures and maintenance) we are delighted to be here.... finally. We are so pleased in fact, that we have declined the opportunity to continue on into Barra de Navidad for the annual cruisers potluck Christmas dinner. Yup, 85 of our cruising friends (old, new, and not made yet).
Ooo. News break, news break: just received a wonderful, loving message from Marg (Kathy's mom) over the SSB. Thanks Marg. Our weather is good and we're catching up our rest AND Kathy has fixed our electrical problem.
Oh, and I have to tell you... we have a little Christmas wreath hanging in the cabin, on the mast. We purchased it from an older Mexican woman in La Cruz. It's kind of nice, and it sparkles reflections when hit by certain light. We will be mounting our Christmas cards all around it on the mast when we open them.
OK, back to my story...now, where was I? Oh yes, as I mentioned we decided not to continue on to Barra de Navidad for the Christmas potluck dinner; for several reasons. Firstly, we were exhausted when we arrived and all too happy to sink our hook into the bottom of Bahia Tenacatita. Secondly, before leaving La Cruz we heard about a southerly weather system due in this area around the 28th. We thought being securely tied into a beautiful marina at the entrance to Barra by then sounded pretty good, so we made reservations. That being said, whether we head there on the 27th or 28th (so we can see some of our friends returning to Tenacatita after Christmas dinner before we leave) remains to be seen.
For now, we are content to enjoy this beautiful anchorage... quite beautiful, with only 5 other boats anchored around us, and the gentle purr of the surf as it rolls up onto the nearby beach. Picture that, if you can, and then add Frigate birds wheeling overhead as they scout for fish filets.
I must go now, but will return to this posting tomorrow. Oh did I mention? The water is at least 85 and we ve been jumping in every couple hours.... fantastic !!
Tuesday, Dec. 26th. Well, what a Christmas Day we had yesterday. We awoke to be one of three boats in the anchorage and had a lovely, peaceful morning. Then, to our delight, about 1030 hrs. in came SV Ponga... friends of ours who had been in Barra but then decided to play hooky and join us back in Tenacatita. By 1330 we had been for a swim off the boat (it's like swimming in your bathtub.... delightfully warm) and visiting on Ponga with two other couples.
Today was a page out of the 'book of dreams'. After a little work on the reefing system, I accepted a ride into the beach (still not feeling too great about braving breaking surf... either as a swimmer or a kayaker) and Kathy rode the waves into the beach. There we enjoyed the company of other cruisers, played some Bocce in the sand, enjoyed cerviche and cold cervesas, and generally relaxed in the tropical atmosphere of Bahia Tenacatita. Tomorrow we hope to do some snorkelling, exploring by dinghy and More swimming. There is nothing quite like being able to jump into the water off your boat, at a moments notice, and land in warm water... ahh.... we are so spoiled.
This is getting kind of,long, somwill,try to send it along. Hope all is well with each of you and you are resting comfortably after a spendiferous Christmas Day.
TTFN. CJ
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Hello from Bahia Tenacatita
Hi everyone, (Kathy here)
Just wanted to share this thought with you... many years ago (1999) Carolyn & I joined Blue Water Cruising and thus began our dream about the possibilities of sailing in Mexico. The thoughts of bobbing at anchor off a long white sandy beach, palm trees dotting the shoreline, palapa restaurants ashore offering cold cervezas and diving off the boat into lovely warm salty water prompted us to begin our preparations for what has become a multi-year sailing adventure.
Well, yesterday we arrived at one of the ultimate cruiser's Mexican winter playgrounds and were greeted by several dear cruising friends who came over by dinghy to welcome us with hugs and congratulations. Not every cruiser chooses to take on this section of coastline to make the journey south to Bahia Tenacatita. In 2011, when we sailed Shannon down the Pacific coast of North America, we were challenged by several natural landmarks. Safely rounding the major Capes of Washington, Oregon and California (Flattery, Conception, Blanco & Mendocino) requires careful route planning and close attention to the weather. Rounding Mexico's Cabo Corrientes is no less daunting.
During our last week before leaving the dock in La Cruz, we paid close attention to the wind and sea state forecasts provided by a variety of online marine weather sites. After a final consult with our best local weather resource (Mike from PV Sailing), we untied our docklines at noon on the 20th and spent the afternoon sailing across Banderas Bay. The time of our leaving and our cruising speed had been carefully calculated to see us rounding (the dreaded) Cabo Corrientes at sunset, when the afternoon Banderas Bay winds have typically died down and the seas are generally at their calmest.
Once we got there, we still had a nice 10-15 knot steady breeze and the seas were rolly and confused (as expected), but manageable. As we made our turn to head south, the wind and swells were behind us, so we reefed our main, partially furled our jib and hung on. This was a challenging leg, as our autohelm could not handle these conditions, so we took turns hand steering for the next 10 hours.
Throughout the night, we could see several other sailboats on our radar and AIS display. Presumably, they were as busy as we were, so there was little time for chitchat on the radio, but knowing that they were there was reassuring. Our route was planned for 5 miles off the coast as this was reported to keep us outside the local shrimpers and fishing pangas with their dangerous long lines. We could see their lights against the shoreline in the distance as we went by and kept careful watch on the radar for any that might have ventured out further. On AIS, we could see the cargo ships 20 miles out, on their way from Manzanillo to/from Ensenada, or La Paz, or Guaymas. So, as with our voyage down the U.S. coast, we had found our "middle route". It was a long night, but we were secure in the knowledge that we had done our research and made the best plan for us.
As the dawn began to slowly brighten the eastern sky, we were tired, but happy to know that we were at the halfway point. At 10 am, we adjusted our course to bring us gradually closer in to the coast. Shortly after noon, we were closing in to our waypoint which marked the approach to Bahia Tennacatita. As we rounded the rocks at the entrance to the bay, and made our preparations for anchoring, we heard a familiar voice calling Shannon Spirit on the VHF radio. Jane & Jeff (SV Adagio) are at anchor in nearby Barra de Navidad, enjoying the town and waiting for the annual cruiser's Christmas celebration. Jane had heard from our friends Marty & Murray (SV Ponga) that we were arriving soon and Jane was calling to see where we were.
82 people are signed up for the pot luck dinner and many games are planned. We've decided to pass on the party and are very happy to just settle in here and explore Tenacatita and wait for the group to return.
We are anchored in sand in 20 feet with great protection from the prevailing north winds. The water is so clear that we can see the bottom. 17 boats were here when we dropped anchor and several friends came along by dinghy to welcome us. On the VHF we heard Robert on SV Harmony of Alameda (the "Mayor of Tenacatita") announce the weekly "Dinghy Raftup" was to commence at 5:00 pm. Brett & Marna (SV Liahona) stopped by to offer that we join them in their dinghy (so we wouldn't have to drop ours and mount the outboard). While we were both exhausted, we knew this was an event that we didn't want to miss. We cleaned up the disarray left over from our 26 hour passage, had our traditional "landing rums", prepared our happy hour contribution and got into our bathing suits to have a much needed swim. We were hot and sweaty and the water was wonderfully refreshing. It was warm and clean and so salty that we floated easily. Afterwards, we put on clean clothes, were picked up by Brett & Marna and off we went to the Mayor's Raft Up. Robert and Virginia had arrived first and set an anchor from their dinghy. The other dinghies joined them in a circle by tying a line to theirs. There were about 10 dinghies in all and each contributed plates of delicious food which we passed around the circle. We reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Robert welcomed us all and congratulated everyone on accomplishing their goal of rounding Corrientes to make their way down to this piece of paradise. He asked us all to introduce ourselves and share a story of a Christmas memory. It was interesting to hear a bit of these people's lives. Many different adventures, lots of laughter and a few toasts to those who are no longer with us.
Quite a few boats left this morning for Barra de Navidad, but six of us are still here. We are looking forward to getting the kayak and dinghy into the water and spending several quiet days swimming, snorkeling, reading and walking the beach. It's time for some peaceful days at anchor in that beautiful tropical bay that we dreamed of all those years ago.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, wherever you are planning to spend it, and all the best in the year ahead. May your seas be calm and the wind in your sails be only as much as your desire.
Kathy & CJ
Shannon's Spirit
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Just wanted to share this thought with you... many years ago (1999) Carolyn & I joined Blue Water Cruising and thus began our dream about the possibilities of sailing in Mexico. The thoughts of bobbing at anchor off a long white sandy beach, palm trees dotting the shoreline, palapa restaurants ashore offering cold cervezas and diving off the boat into lovely warm salty water prompted us to begin our preparations for what has become a multi-year sailing adventure.
Well, yesterday we arrived at one of the ultimate cruiser's Mexican winter playgrounds and were greeted by several dear cruising friends who came over by dinghy to welcome us with hugs and congratulations. Not every cruiser chooses to take on this section of coastline to make the journey south to Bahia Tenacatita. In 2011, when we sailed Shannon down the Pacific coast of North America, we were challenged by several natural landmarks. Safely rounding the major Capes of Washington, Oregon and California (Flattery, Conception, Blanco & Mendocino) requires careful route planning and close attention to the weather. Rounding Mexico's Cabo Corrientes is no less daunting.
During our last week before leaving the dock in La Cruz, we paid close attention to the wind and sea state forecasts provided by a variety of online marine weather sites. After a final consult with our best local weather resource (Mike from PV Sailing), we untied our docklines at noon on the 20th and spent the afternoon sailing across Banderas Bay. The time of our leaving and our cruising speed had been carefully calculated to see us rounding (the dreaded) Cabo Corrientes at sunset, when the afternoon Banderas Bay winds have typically died down and the seas are generally at their calmest.
Once we got there, we still had a nice 10-15 knot steady breeze and the seas were rolly and confused (as expected), but manageable. As we made our turn to head south, the wind and swells were behind us, so we reefed our main, partially furled our jib and hung on. This was a challenging leg, as our autohelm could not handle these conditions, so we took turns hand steering for the next 10 hours.
Throughout the night, we could see several other sailboats on our radar and AIS display. Presumably, they were as busy as we were, so there was little time for chitchat on the radio, but knowing that they were there was reassuring. Our route was planned for 5 miles off the coast as this was reported to keep us outside the local shrimpers and fishing pangas with their dangerous long lines. We could see their lights against the shoreline in the distance as we went by and kept careful watch on the radar for any that might have ventured out further. On AIS, we could see the cargo ships 20 miles out, on their way from Manzanillo to/from Ensenada, or La Paz, or Guaymas. So, as with our voyage down the U.S. coast, we had found our "middle route". It was a long night, but we were secure in the knowledge that we had done our research and made the best plan for us.
As the dawn began to slowly brighten the eastern sky, we were tired, but happy to know that we were at the halfway point. At 10 am, we adjusted our course to bring us gradually closer in to the coast. Shortly after noon, we were closing in to our waypoint which marked the approach to Bahia Tennacatita. As we rounded the rocks at the entrance to the bay, and made our preparations for anchoring, we heard a familiar voice calling Shannon Spirit on the VHF radio. Jane & Jeff (SV Adagio) are at anchor in nearby Barra de Navidad, enjoying the town and waiting for the annual cruiser's Christmas celebration. Jane had heard from our friends Marty & Murray (SV Ponga) that we were arriving soon and Jane was calling to see where we were.
82 people are signed up for the pot luck dinner and many games are planned. We've decided to pass on the party and are very happy to just settle in here and explore Tenacatita and wait for the group to return.
We are anchored in sand in 20 feet with great protection from the prevailing north winds. The water is so clear that we can see the bottom. 17 boats were here when we dropped anchor and several friends came along by dinghy to welcome us. On the VHF we heard Robert on SV Harmony of Alameda (the "Mayor of Tenacatita") announce the weekly "Dinghy Raftup" was to commence at 5:00 pm. Brett & Marna (SV Liahona) stopped by to offer that we join them in their dinghy (so we wouldn't have to drop ours and mount the outboard). While we were both exhausted, we knew this was an event that we didn't want to miss. We cleaned up the disarray left over from our 26 hour passage, had our traditional "landing rums", prepared our happy hour contribution and got into our bathing suits to have a much needed swim. We were hot and sweaty and the water was wonderfully refreshing. It was warm and clean and so salty that we floated easily. Afterwards, we put on clean clothes, were picked up by Brett & Marna and off we went to the Mayor's Raft Up. Robert and Virginia had arrived first and set an anchor from their dinghy. The other dinghies joined them in a circle by tying a line to theirs. There were about 10 dinghies in all and each contributed plates of delicious food which we passed around the circle. We reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Robert welcomed us all and congratulated everyone on accomplishing their goal of rounding Corrientes to make their way down to this piece of paradise. He asked us all to introduce ourselves and share a story of a Christmas memory. It was interesting to hear a bit of these people's lives. Many different adventures, lots of laughter and a few toasts to those who are no longer with us.
Quite a few boats left this morning for Barra de Navidad, but six of us are still here. We are looking forward to getting the kayak and dinghy into the water and spending several quiet days swimming, snorkeling, reading and walking the beach. It's time for some peaceful days at anchor in that beautiful tropical bay that we dreamed of all those years ago.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, wherever you are planning to spend it, and all the best in the year ahead. May your seas be calm and the wind in your sails be only as much as your desire.
Kathy & CJ
Shannon's Spirit
Posted by: Carolyn (via Kathy's Google mail profile)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)